Betta Question?

Question

I had a bad experience keeping bettas, but I like the fish a lot, I now have a small 1g tank about 9"x3" in size, with bonsai bamboos in it. so can i hav a betta in the present tank with bamboos. And what should I feed it with, in my earlier experience I never saw bettas eat. They soon died after 10days or so. A detailed note on betta keeping is due required.

Answer 1

2.5 gallons is the absolute minimum for keeping a betta healthy and thriving, 5 gallons is better and of course 10 gallons is even better then that. They also need a filter and heater since they do produce waste just like any other fish and they need temps around 78-82. Unlike what most people think they don't live in tiny little puddles, here is a link to show you what they actually live in. http://www.bettadreams.com/ricepaddies.html
I use HBH betta pellets but Hikari also makes a good betta pellet, you can also feed them bloodworms.

Answer 2

I don't know about bamboo, but I had my Betta in with English Ivy...had to remove Ivy because the fish water made it grow out of control and I was trimming roots every 2 days! Rover (my Betta) seemed happier to have the place all to himself.

I like Betta Talk, but here is a forum:
http://www.forumsvibe.com/forum/?mforum=betta

All betta food recommended are good. I use Betta bites. My Bettas get fed once a day, about 4-6 pellets each (2 males..in separate 1g tanks...2 females in a 5g tank). Just make sure the temp is 78% or up, or the fish can't digest it's food, and it will rot in it's stomach and kill the fish.

I change the water in my tanks (1g) every other day. I also have a 5g, that I change once a week.

I also have a 10g with baby Bettas (and some snails)in it, and it gets the bottom vacuumed every day (25% water change), and the water changed (100% water change) once a week.

Answer 3

They sell floating pellets specifically for bettas at pet stores. Betta Bites by HBH works the best. I've also had better luck keeping them alive by feeding them every other day, believe it or not. Usually, however, bettas that die quickly are either unhealthy to begin with or the water is bad. Look for an active betta with no white spots on it. Also, use spring water instead of buying the drops to treat tap water. (Do not use distilled.) And for a tank that size, you should do a water change at least once every week or two.

Answer 4

#1 you should fully research the fish before you buy it. now you have an animal that you dont know how to care for. What if it required some hard to find food that costs 500 bucks per ounce?

Luckily most local fish stores have Hikari beta food. Your beta should eat that without a problem. I suggest giving no more than 3 - 5 pellets and giving him time to eat that. If he does well give him a couple more.

Betas, in the wild, live in puddles. They travel from puddle to puddle seeking mates. As they do this, they establish a territory which is why multiple males are so aggressive and kill each other. If you dont change your water weekly, overfeed, or the water gets nasty, the fish will complain by jumping to it's death looking for another puddle.

Betas are air breathers and have life spans of 3 years roughly. If you buy a really pretty fully grown fish ... how do you know how old it is? You don't.

Here is a useful forum for betafish owners that you should read up on. http://www.bettatalk.com/

Good Luck

Answer 5

From years of experience in keeping betta, never had an issue with them. All I did was water changes once a week, I scrub the bowl down and place freshwater back into the bowl and use chlorine removal products and let the water sit to acclimate to room temperature and then place the fish back in. I always feed floating pellet foods and it's always worked for me. From what I've read, it's not recommanded to place the fish with live plants, it somehow do more harm then good to the fish.

Answer 6

Bettas do well in small tanks, but you do need to feed them fish food for them to stay alive.